1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information communication terminal with a charging management function which has a message originating function and, more particularly, to an information communication terminal with a charging management function, such as a radio pager, which has a destination pager call number directory (to be simply referred to as a telephone number directory hereinafter) function, an outgoing message creation function, and a tone dialer originating function.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional information communication terminal such as a radio pager having a message originating function is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 06-209276. The disclosed technique provides an information communication terminal that can be used as a data transmission apparatus or auxiliary data transmission apparatus, which is used by a general user to provide information through the transmitter of a telephone set after creating a message containing character information to be transmitted, and converting the outgoing message information into a DTMF (Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency) signal.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically showing the overall arrangement of the above information communication terminal as a prior art.
A radio signal from a radio base station is received through an antenna 101. A radio section 102 demodulates the modulated signal. A decoder 103 checks whether the selective call number of the self-receiver coincides with the signal demodulated by the radio section 102, and extracts call discrimination information and an information bit. The selective call number of the self-receiver is stored in an EEP-PROM 104.
A key input section 105 outputs instructions based on various keys to a control section 106. The control section 106 performs control on the basis of information from a memory storing various control programs, a timer, an input register for holding key input operation in the key input section 105, and a peripheral interface. A conversion table 107 stores a unique matrix character table for converting character data into numerical data. A reverse conversion table 108 stores a unique matrix character table for converting numerical data into character data. A CG section 109 stores pattern data of characters. A reception buffer 110 temporarily stores incoming message information and is used as a work area. An incoming message memory 111 has a plurality of memory banks and stores pieces of incoming message information. A message buffer 112 temporarily stores message information and is used as a work area. A message memory 113 stores destination data and latest input message information, and has a plurality of memory banks storing stereotyped message information. A TEL bank memory 114 stores pieces of destination pager call number (to be simply referred to as telephone number hereinafter) information, together with their abbreviated numbers and identification information on the pagers. A tone signal generating section 115 converts the numerical data input from the control section 106 into a DTMF signal and outputs it from a speaker 116. A conversion buffer 117 temporarily stores the incoming message read out from the incoming message memory 111 by the control section 106. A display buffer 118 temporarily stores the character data or numeral data for display which is output from the control section 106 to a display section 119.
The operation of this prior art will be described next.
When message input is directed by operation at the key input section 105, the control section 106 reads out a character pattern corresponding to the input instruction from the CG section 109, stores it in the display buffer 118, and displays it on the display section 119. This display data is also stored in the message buffer. In addition, the display data is stored in the latest input message information area in the message memory 113 in response to a registration instruction from the key input section 105. Thus, the message input is terminated. When a link request to link the created message information to a destination telephone number is selected through the key input section 105, a destination telephone number can be selected from telephone number information of the contents in the TEL bank memory 114 for which pager identification information flags are set (these pager identification information flags are registered in advance in the TEL bank memory). The selected destination telephone number is registered in the destination data area in the message memory 113.
If the link request is not selected, and registration of the telephone number in the message memory 113 is complete, a xe2x80x9cDTMF send request waitxe2x80x9d state is set. If the user outputs a DTMF send request through the key input section 105 without selecting a link request, the control section 106 reads out the registered message information from the latest input message information area in the message memory 113, and converts the character data of the message into numerical data on the basis of the unique matrix character table in the conversion table 107. In addition, the control section 106 causes the tone signal generating section 115 to convert the converted numerical data into a DTMF signal following 2-digit numerical data xe2x80x9c*7xe2x80x9d designating a free message code, and outputs it from the speaker 116. When a DTMF send request is generated through the key input section 105 after registration of the telephone number in the message memory 113 is completed, the telephone number registered in the destination data area of the message memory 113 is converted into a DTMF signal by the tone signal generating section, and the signal is output from the speaker 116. When transmission of the telephone number as a tone is complete, the xe2x80x9cDTMF send request waitxe2x80x9d state is set again. When a DTMF send request is generated again through the key input section 105 afterward, the latest input message information in the message memory 113 is converted into numerical data by the same method as that described above, and the message information converted into the numerical data is converted into a DTMF signal by the tone signal generating section 115. This signal is output from the speaker 116. In addition, stereotyped message information is transmitted as a DTMF signal by the same procedure as that described above.
In a conventional information communication terminal having a charging function, a processing control section notifies the user of incoming information, and stores a message rate in a charge information storage means. When a charge information send request signal transmission means is accessed, the contents of the charge information storage means are converted into a predetermined frequency signal and sent to a host station. With this operation, in charging operation, the message rate is calculated only when the information communication terminal confirms the reception of the signal.
A conventional charging scheme of this type is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 1-238363. According to an information communication terminal having the charging function disclosed in this reference, as shown in FIG. 2, when a radio reception means 920 confirms the reception of a call, the incoming information is converted into a signal sound to be notified, and its contents are displayed. At the same time, the charge information stored in a charge information storage means 930 is updated. Charge information in a predetermined period is read out from the charge information storage means 930 by operating a charge information send request signal output means 950. This information is converted into a predetermined frequency signal and sent to a host station through a charge information output means 940 and the handset of a telephone set. When the host station transmits filed incoming information, the charge information is updated. With this operation, only charge information corresponding to a message for which termination is confirmed by the information, communication terminal is registered.
The following problems, however, arise in the conventional information communication terminal.
First, in a receiving information communication terminal with a message output function, since a history of a call count, destinations and the like and a call charging list are not managed, the charging state cannot be known on the caller side. As a consequence, a caller charging service system cannot be used.
Second, since different call charges are set in correspondence with different communication distances according to the current call rate systems, and the accounting rate system per call varies among service vendors, the information communication terminal cannot follow variations in communication state and call rate system. As a consequence, in charging operation, the information communication terminal cannot cope with variations in charge with variations in communication distance or among different service vendors. The accuracy of call charge calculation is therefore poor.
The present invention has been made in consideration of the above situation in the prior art, and has as its object to provide an information communication terminal with a charging management function, which supervises call charges and manages charging histories on the user side in caller charging services.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an information communication terminal with a charging management function, which has a charging collation function capable of coping with different call rate systems.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an information communication terminal with a charging management function, which implements a charging collation function of improving the reliability of charging contents by calculating using call rate systems assuming different conditions with an easy operation procedure.
In order to achieve the above objects, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information communication terminal with a charging management function, comprising storage means for receiving and storing an incoming message of a radio signal transmitted from a base station, message creation means for editing contents of the stored incoming message or creating a new message, means for adding a pager call number of a destination to message information edited or created by the message creation means, means for outputting the message information and the pager call number of the destination as information data through a push-phone, and means for supervising the destination of the information data and performing charging management.
The means for performing charging management in the first aspect comprises means for converting a public line connection into a tone signal, means for making a charge table correspond to a destination of the tone signal, means for calculating a value corresponding to the charge table, and means for performing list management of a history of the calculated value.
In addition, in order to achieve the above objects, according to the second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information communication terminal with a charging management function, comprising storage means for receiving and storing an incoming message of a radio signal transmitted from a base station, message creation means for editing contents of the stored incoming message or creating a new message, means for adding a pager call number of a destination to message information edited or created by the message creation means, means for outputting the message information and the pager call number of the destination as DTMF signals, and means for performing charge calculation management by using the pager call number of the destination which has been originated by using the DTMF signals.
The means for performing charge calculation/management in the second aspect comprises means for updating or changing contents of the charge table, means for retrieving charge information data corresponding to the pager call number of the destination from the charge table, means for calculating a value of the charge information data, and means for performing list management of a history of the calculated value.
Furthermore, the means for updating and changing the charge table contents in the second aspect comprises one or a proper combination of a plurality of means of a means for receiving information from means for receiving table information from a radio channel like the message, and correcting/editing or rewriting the information, a means for receiving information from means for receiving table information from a wire line interface such as an ISDN, public network, or PC network, and correcting/editing or rewriting the information, a means for receiving information from means for receiving table information from an IrDA optical communication interface, and correcting/editing or rewriting the information, and a means for receiving information from means for receiving table information upon key input operation by an operator, and correcting/editing or rewriting the information.
As is obvious from the respective aspects described above, the present invention has the following first effect. The destination of an outgoing message is discriminated by using the DTMF transmission function, and a corresponding call charge is searched out by using the charge table data held by the terminal itself and notified to the user. In addition, since history management can be implemented by using a caller list including charge information within a limited period of time, the state of call charges can be managed on the caller side. In other words, a caller charging service system can be used.
The present invention has the following second effect. A plurality of tables such as a charge table based on different distances and a charge table based on different service vendors are prepared. Call rate system conditions can be arbitrarily selected in units of telephone numbers registered in each telephone directory. This apparatus can therefore cope with various call rate system conditions. In addition, even if the accounting rate system changes, the contents of a corresponding charge table can be quickly updated. Therefore, a call charge corresponding to an accounting rate system can be calculated with high precision.
The above and many other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become manifest to those skilled in the art upon making reference to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings in which preferred embodiments incorporating the principle of the present invention are shown by way of illustrative examples.